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12/14/12 UPDATE: NACHES HEIGHTS OFFICIALLY APPROVED AS WASHINGTON’S 12TH VITICULTURE AREA While looking at a map of Washington State’s American Viticultural Areas with a couple of customers at Nectar Tasting Room the other night, I came across a soon-to-be AVA just northwest of the city of Yakima called Naches Heights. Due to Washington’s abundance of distinctive microclimates, landscapes and soils, eleven official AVAs have been added to the state’s map since 1983. One thing intrigued me about Naches Heights: it will be the first 100% organic AVA in the entire United States. Being the secret Hippie that I am (I buy organic […]

Look at the back label of most American-made wines and you’ll most certainly see the phrase *CONTAINS SULFITES*. Oh no! Not sulfites! Why, out of all the compounds found in wine, does this little punk get his own shout-out on the bottle? Well, some people see red wine as an open door to a morning full of horrendous headaches and directly blame sulfites. Seeing the “warning label” only fortifies this belief. It seems odd, though, that these same people can drink sweet white wines (which scientists have declared often times contain more sulfites than red wine) without missing a beat […]

“Once you know what you like, you’re already an expert.” This is a phrase I use all too often in the tasting room for intimidated newbies and, in many ways, I believe it. Sounds pretty simple and inviting right? Sadly, the man behind curtain would agree that there’s more to enjoying wine than simply sticking to what you’ve previously found easy and comfortable. The world of wine is dying to be discovered in each and every soul. Yes, if you’re a novice drinker and find Franzia to be smooth and elegant then that’s your prerogative. I’ll even find myself enjoying […]

By Clive Pursehouse Cognac is difficult beverage to wrap your head around and one that I came upon only recently. It’s a wine eau-de-vie, doubly distilled in copper stills and aged in very specific oak casks; it drips with historical and traditional significance, method and practice. Just when you think you might have it cornered, it often eludes and surprises you. That a drink with such origins moves so adeptly through modernity speaks to the sensuality of the beverage. It’s a true beauty, both in process and in the glass. The French region of Cognac appears on a map like […]

There’s only one thing I love more than being told I’m awesome; it’s an honest friend giving me a suggestion on how I could be more awesome. After my last blog, my good friend Mark Rogers said I fell hook, line and sinker for a common misconception within the wine industry. Mark was referring to how, while sharing a few helpful tips to make wine tasting a little more fun and enjoyable, I very briefly discussed the “legs” of wine and its ability to aid in immediately determining quality. Out of the goodness in his heart, he decided call me […]